


Plumes and Petals

by karakael



Category: GaoGaiGar
Genre: F/M, Hanahaki Disease
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-12
Packaged: 2020-04-23 05:24:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 19,855
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19144426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karakael/pseuds/karakael
Summary: Renais comes down with an common human condition that results in blooming flowers whenever she's around the object of her affection. Unfortunately, all her plans to confess her feelings are hindered by the much more pressing need to survive the solar system the 3G team has found themselves in following the defeat of the Sol Masters. Also, the object of her affection seems to be suffering a completely different kind of illness, and has no idea what's about to hit him.





	1. Hana's Disease

Dr. Lily was surprised when a knock rattled her door just before her shift change. Surprised and a bit nervous. For obvious reasons there were very few appointments scheduled for four am, which generally meant that a crisis was at her door.

And there had been many, many crises in the last three months. Being trapped in a collapsing universe did that. Lily and her fellow doctors had worked round the clock that first month, fixing everything from battle wounds to vacuum burn to creating whole new cybernetic bodies. Even now, in the relative peace of a distant star system, at any moment the alarms might sound and a new disaster would call Lily to the front. 

Frankly, the fact that there had been so few casualties so far was a major miracle. Sure, things had quieted down a bit, but there was always the possibility of another disaster looming.

So she let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding when the door opened and there was a perfectly healthy looking girl beyond. 

Healthy...except for the metal bracer with the prominent G-Stone. The girl was a cyborg.

“...Renais, right? Shouldn’t you be going to engineering for medical problems?” 

The Frenchwoman rolled her eyes and tugged down the collar of her shirt. Suddenly everything became clear.

“Trust me, my dad is the last person I want to find out about this.”

\-------------

Hana’s Disease was a common enough malady. Most everyone experienced a few times in their lives, especially during their teenage years. It was probably the best proof science had of the physiological impact of human emotions, and some - like Dr. Noir - believed it proof of humanity's innate psychic abilities.

Dr. Lily had never gone that far, but looking at the raised markings on her patient’s chest was causing her to rethink.

“Remind me what your skin is made of?”

“A heat resistant plasticine alloy.”

“So none of you original flesh is left?”

“Not quite. Bionet plasticized the skin by injecting a polymer agent that transitioned skin to the alloy leaving most of my nerve endings intact.”

“Still, I’m surprised you can grow flowers.”

For that was what was etched into the girl's skin - intricate flowers that - should the disease run its natural course - would eventually grow into full 3 dimensional blooms. 

The flowers had yet to gain any color, instead simply retaining the outline of their final form. But they stretched across her whole front, the redness of the initial rash reaching from shoulder to shoulder. Not the most extensive case Lily had seen, but certainly indicative of intensely strong feelings.

“When did this start?”

“I noticed the rash a few days after we pulled out of the Trinary System. It probably started a bit before then.”

“Is this your first time experiencing Hana’s?”

The girl shook her head. “I had it a few times in school. Both times I only grew small flowers - baby’s breath and violets. Never anything this big, and never anything that lasted this long.”

Lily did some quick calculations. They’d been out of the Trinary System for three months now. Teenage crushes usually brought on only a few weeks of flowers, the emotions that triggered the growth fast and intense, then fading just as quickly. But given how little free time any of the 3G members had, it was likely that Renais simply hadn't had enough time to herself - or with the object of her affections - to process her emotions.

Lily said as much, handing over a plastic screen with a pamphlet on the topic loaded up.

“This will certainly be more intense than what you’re used to, but don't let that scare you. We only need to worry if the flowers begin to constrict your airway. Have you had any history of that in your family?"

Renais shook her head. 

“then I wouldn't worry too much. Keep an eye on the flowers, prune the small ones as needed, and come back next week or whenever the big flowers start to emerge. I’ll get you some creams to handle any chaffing, and request some added chest protection added to your armor.

“Now, I have to ask - do you know who is the object of your feelings?

The girl flushed, but nodded her head.

“Are you intending to pursue them, or will you let the flowers fade with time?”

Renais shifted uncomfortably in the seat. “I’m not sure. I want to know if it's real first.”

Lily glanced down again at her chest. “I would say you've got some rather strong proof right there.”

“It's...more complicated than that.”

Lily raised a brow. “With most people who say that, I end up having to cut their feelings out of them.”

“I don't think it’ll come to that. But given my....problems, I just want to make sure.”

“could you elaborate?”

“well....I can’t touch anyone. Everyone gets burned. But with this guy...it's not a problem. First person I’ve been able to touch in three years. But that’s not a good basis for a relationship...right?” 

She looked up, uncertainty in her voice for the first time, and Lily was struck by just how young this woman was, and how desperately mature she was trying to be. From the sprawl of flowers on her chest, it was obvious she was head over heels for this boy, but unable to trust her own instincts, and ready to doubt the instant someone wiser than her raised objections. And if the object of her affections was who Lily suspected it to be...

No wonder she didn’t want to go to her father with this. 

Lily chose her words carefully, pretending she couldn't remember the palpable energy in the air when the doctors had finally gotten around to separating the girl from the alien all those months ago.

“Good relationships have been built on much less. Why don’t you try to get to know this boy a bit better. _Outside_ of work.” Lily’s tone shifted. She knew the 3G crew, and she knew the cyborgs in particular were unlikely to take a break unless physically incapable of working more.

“Also, I’m going to recommend you talk to a relationship counselor to help you through this.” She wrote a name down on a card and handed it over.

Renais glanced at the name, then laughed in derision. “ _Swan_? There’s no way in hell I’m going to _her_.”

Lily raised a brow. “She does have a PhD in psychology.”

“And she uses it for _gossip_. If she even sees me with these flowers half the ship will know!”

“Swan can be discrete if she wants to be. And she always has her patient’s best interests at heart. You can trust her.”

Renais didn’t look convinced. “If you say so.”

Lily patted her arm through her coat. “Just think about it.”

“...fine.”

\------------ 

Lily watched as the girl left, looking both ways down the corridor before sneaking out. Just like Lily herself, ten years ago, when she snuck out of her parents apartment to meet her first girlfriend. She’d hidden her flowers for five months, only even mentioning it to her parents when they finally broke up. Of course her parents had known all along.

Swan would know what to do about this mess. But doctor-patient confidentiality meant that unless Renais went to her first, Lily couldn’t say anything. 

At least, not as a doctor. But as a friend...well, Swan was the queen of gossip. She would definitely have noticed if someone under her command was mooning over an impossible crush. All Lily had to do was ask…


	2. Plans

For all that Dr. Lily’s pamphlet insisted that Hana’s was a totally normal part of life, Renais found herself embarrassed and half terrified of discovery, a feeling that only became more intense as the next few weeks went on and the illness slowly progressed. She stitched up the window on her uniform, wore her coat closed whenever possible, and avoided Swan like the plague. 

It was so...stupid! Teenagers came down with Hana’s. Not adults. And Renais was trying very hard to be treated as an _adult_. Her father was always looking for excuses to pull her off the front lines. Never-mind that Mikoto bloomed gardens every time Guy smiled at her, Renais knew her father would relegate her to watch duty if he thought she was being ‘distracted' by a ‘childish emotion’.

So she stashed the pamphlet in her bunk, rereading it over and over to figure out how best to hide her symptoms and speed up the process without letting anyone know. She tugged out the smaller secondary flowers the moment it was safe to do so, and hid them beneath her pillow, washing her skin ruthlessly to remove the sweet fragrance as completely as possible. 

Dr. Lily had seemed sympathetic enough to Renais’s problem, but her instructions were hard to follow. The sector of space 3G had ended up in was far safer than the Trinary System, but their ships had taken heavy damage and were liable to buckle at so much as a solar wind. So anyone with an independent ship had their time full with running patrols or ferrying supplies from the asteroids back to the Hirume. Guy and Mikoto barely had a moment to themselves, and the entire crew did just about everything they could to give their heroes what little time was available.

J had no such excuse. Renais was beginning to wonder if he ever slept at all. If he was not on patrol, or doing transport, he was watching over the 3G scientists as they learned what they could from the J-Arc and tried to apply it to the 3G ships. 

_Spend time with your crush._ Renais read again, and sighed. She was lucky if she saw the alien once a week. Her work on the weapons and sensor systems took her onto completely different ships most days. She didn’t mind the work - enjoyed it even - but it was hard to watch the Arc zipping off to a new adventure while she was stuck behind. 

It was petty and childish and she knew it, but she couldn’t help it. She wanted to be out there, exploring, pushing the limits, and - yes - spending time with J. 

But what was she supposed to do? Admit to Swan - and thus half the base - that she had a stupid crush on the hot alien soldier? Chance that her father would take things the wrong way and rearrange her life so that she never saw J again. Or - worse - insist that she get the surgery to prevent her from ever falling for the Soldato again?

Given his history, J would never speak to her again if he found out something like that had happened.

But his history was the one thing that Renais kept coming back to. If there was anyone who understood the need to accept troubling emotions, it was the former Zondarian. Even if he didn’t feel the same way about her - potentially _couldn’t_ feel the same way - he probably wouldn’t judge her for her feelings. And then they could deal with the problem like friends.

“Break my heart softly, right?” She said to herself, reviewing the pamphlet once again in her tiny office on Takehaya, Volfogg's ship. She had circled the section she most needed, though there was little need, given the bolded 34-point text. Whoever had initially written the pamphlet had the same opinion as Renais herself.

**TALK TO THEM**

No one else, not her father, and certainly not Swan, needed to know her business. That was between her and - perhaps - J. 

“Be clear. Be concise.” She read aloud. Unfortunately there was no section on ‘explaining human biology to aliens’, but a carefully woven bunch of secondary flowers was a start. Just like when she’d been younger, the initial flowers were baby’s breath and violets with thick, scratchy mint leaves that forced her to remember her predicament every time she shifted in her uniform.

The scent of mint and violets hung around her, along with the muted perfume of the strange foreign flowers that had yet to fully emerge. Dr. Lily had said she’d never seen flowers quite like them, halfway between roses and chrysanthemums, light yellow tint contrasting sharply with the deep purple violets. Renais could only hope they would mean something to J when they finally grew in. Until then, all she could do was weave the little bouquet together and plan how to catch J alone for long enough to explain.

\-------------- 

“You’re sure you can’t find any sensor malfunctions?” 

Tomoro-0117 beeped as it ran another scan over its master. They were waiting between missions, and J had decided to use the two hours of downtime to run a full diagnostic.

“I need to recommend you get more sleep, but beyond that...I can’t find anything wrong. Describe your symptoms again?”

“I swear I can smell Star Flowers. Which is impossible - they were all destroyed along with the Red Planet. But still…”

“I’ll run a diagnostic on our filters. Maybe there’s something the humans brought on the ship that smells similar.”

“But I rarely smell it here. It's more often on their ships. Never strong enough to tell where its coming from. Just at the edge of my sensor range.”

“Huh. I’ll see what I can find out about this. But I wouldn’t worry about it too much. Everything else appears normal.”

“Very well.” 

As he left the medbay, Tomoro watched him with a bit of worry. While there wasn’t anything wrong according to the sensors, J’s plume seemed faded, the green washed out and the feathers drooping in back. He had been running himself hard. The J-Arc was still the best ship in the fleet, not needing repairs in the same way that GaoFi or even Galeon required. And the Arc’s warping ability, though greatly constricted, still meant that all long missions were best handled by J and Tomoro.

If only there was a reason to give the soldier a break. Tomoro could run missions on his own, and J could really benefit from a short leave. It was no wonder he was starting to hallucinate. His mind was probably exhausted.

\------------------ 

“So. Are my patients behaving themselves?” Lily poured a cup of tea for her guest.

Swan chuckled and leaned back, long legs crossing and smile languidly stretching across her face.

“You wouldn’t be asking me to _gossip_ , would you?”

“You know how it is, I take care of their bodies, you care for their minds. The two are more connected than people think.”

Swan sighed, a frown momentarily shadowing her sweet face. “Everyone is tired. And after three months of working round the clock, it's been difficult for them to disengage. Everyone worries that if they take a moment’s break things will explode in their faces. It's hard to convince them otherwise.” Then she said, teasingly, “But I’m sure you are not prone to such things.”

“Oh, no more than you, I’m sure.”

Swan laughed. “Touche.”

“But seriously, I’m worried.” Lily said. “Now that the hardest part is over, people might start having time to think about our situation. Everyone had cool heads while in crisis, but who knows how they’ll manage once reality starts setting in.”

“Hopefully a few more orgies will solve that problem.”

Lily coughed on her tea. Swan was the most openly promiscuous person she knew, but it still tripped her up sometimes. 

“If it was that easy, everyone would be doing it.”

“Well, you’re always invited. You might be surprised at who shows up.”

“Swan, I really don’t want to know. Anyways, I’m more concerned about the people who _don’t_ have that as an option.”

“There’s surprisingly few. Basically the entire staff that shipped out to the Trinary System was either comfortably single or partnered to someone else on the crew. Everyone knew that it was a one-way trip. As is, we’re lucky only a Koji lost his partner in the fighting. And I’ve coaxed quite a few into pairing up since then. Almost no one who wants it is lacking intimacy."

“Almost?”

“Well...there are a few I haven’t quite figured out yet. And a few more I might need to push a little.”

“Such as?”

Swan looked over the top of her cup, one eyebrow raised. “You’re thinking of someone specific, aren’t you?”

“Doctor-patient confidentiality prevents me from asking directly, but…”

“But there are only a few to choose from, and fewer still that have anything actively _preventing_ them from seeking the appropriate partner…” She considered, then smiled. “Of course, we do have one special case. Someone who needs a very unique partner indeed.”

Lily felt her own lips quirk, but said nothing.

It was enough for Swan. “It’s a pity no one knows much about the Alien, except that his ship’s technology is marvelous.”

“It might be useful if someone found out a bit about his people’s culture and...rituals.”

“Hmm. I imagine that could be arranged. He is due for a bridge meeting tomorrow. Surely no one would mind if he was...waylaid a few moments.”

“I’m sure he needs a break just as much as the rest of us. It would only be for the best for ship stability to learn more of his culture.”

The two doctors smiled at each other, and no more was said on the subject.


	3. Chapter 3

J had been given a space in the Main Order Room, off to one side and outfitted with a desk and computer, almost exactly like the stations of the true 3G members. He found it a bit odd - neither of the other full cyborgs had been given a desk. Evolver Guy worked off of his partner’s station when he was in the command center, his regular desk being in the engineering department with the mechas in _Tsukuyomi_. It made a certain kind of sense - he was the captain of the 3G armed forces. But J had yet to figure out where Renais’s work-space was hidden. Despite her commanding the Chausser mecha, he rarely saw her in the main mecha bay. Nor did she have space in the Main Order Room.

It wasn’t as if he was intentionally looking for her, he sternly insisted to himself. It was just that she was a vital asset to the operation of the J-Arc’s secret weapon. To not know where she was, or how to call on her, presented a clear problem. 

That did not explain why he _felt_ her absence, and found himself looking for her first whenever he entered a room on a 3G ship. Perhaps, had he more time, he would have thought longer on that.

So when he entered the Main Order Room for the weekly meeting, his eyes scanned the room and he found himself disappointed in the noted lack of pink. His feathers itched, flaring with irritation and when he ran a hand through them to flatten them back down his gauntlet came away flecked with down. 

Perhaps he was getting sick. 

His mind thus preoccupied, he didn’t notice anything strange until he was standing before his desk and an odd, bruised scent reached his nose.

A bouquet of red roses was on his desk, disturbing its normally pristine order.

Wrinkling his nose, he picked up the bouquet and walked over to Swan’s desk.

“These were delivered to me by mistake.”

Swan looked up at him, the perfect picture of innocence. Her desk was always covered with flowers, of every human type. She kept them in water, and fondly looked after them, no matter how many new bouquets arrived on her desk each morning. 

“Oh, no. This one is addressed to you.” She pointed out a note pinned to the side, which simply read ' _for the soldato_ ’.

“I have no need for something so useless as flowers. You may have them, if you wish.”

He realized he had said something wrong when the silence hit a moment later. Normally he wouldn’t have noticed, but Swan’s eyes had narrowed and in the moment she looked almost exactly like his first drill instructor, about to tear into him for an incredibly stupid mistake.

Then her eyes shifted, and he looked behind him, only to see the door hiss closed behind a hint of bright pink.

\--------------------- 

Stupid. Stupid stupid _Stupid_!

Renais berated herself as she hurried away, rubbing at the embarrassed flush on her face. Of course J had no idea what the flowers meant - he was an alien! And it was hardly a surprise that someone else had feelings for him - he’d saved all their lives half a hundred times. She should have expected that reaction.

But if he wrinkled his nose in disgust at the bright, opulent roses, what would he have thought of her weak offering? The small bouquet crushed in her fist seemed paltry in comparison. Maybe she really was a kid, thinking she had a chance with a man like that.

She felt her throat constrict at the thought of J completely dismissing her, and everything they had shared. She paused in the hall, chest tight, the scent of summer on her breath.

_Stop over thinking._ She sternly reminded herself. The Soldato had a bad reaction to some flowers. That said nothing about her relation to him - or his opinion of her. And she couldn't rightly assume anything until she knew more about him and his species. 

Maybe showing up with flowers was a bad idea anyways. What would she have thought if he’s rejected such an intimate part of her, in the same way as he had with the roses?

The thought alone caused her chest to tighten more, and she ruthlessly crushed it. No. She still needed to talk to him. Just...Not today. 

Which was exactly when he caught up with her. 

\-------- 

He was out the door before he even realized he moved, already looking for the way she had gone before he had recognized his actions.

When he saw her stumble and slump against a wall a moment later, the burst of speed that placed him at her side was just as unexpected.

“Renais?”

How long had it been since they’d seen each other? A week, at most. He’s thought it odd that he even noticed her absence, given his normally solitary nature.

But the spike of worry that had pushed him forward only heightened when she took a moment to respond, her face half hidden by her fringe.

Even he could sense there was something off about the smile she gave. It wasn’t her normal sneer, nor the exhilarated grin she’d sported when firing up the laser canons. Instead it felt...forced. As if for some reason the smile didn’t fit easily on her face.

“Sorry. I…”

“Tell me what I did wrong.” 

Her mouth popped open. “What?”

He wasn’t quite sure why he’d said that either, why he felt that her answer would somehow explain why she’d left so suddenly, and why the idea of his actions forcing her away bothered him so much. 

Still.

“I did something wrong. Your customs are strange to me.” His pride stung at his words, but a warrior never backed down from the truth. “My world was...different. But with human allies, I must understand human rules. Tell me how to rectify this.”

She leaned back against the wall, and sighed.

“Flowers a way to show feelings. Giving someone flowers usually means they want to start a relationship with you.”

“So by leaving these ‘roses’...”

“Someone was saying they wanted to be with you. Romantically, given the color.”

His brow knotted.

“So by reacting poorly to the flowers…”

“You were basically rejecting their feelings. Completely.”

He looked up.

“They weren’t from you, were they?”

Renais started. “What?! No! I’m not that ostentatious!” 

“Ah.” He paused, uncertain of the mixture of relief and disappointment the statement caused. “I should have known. They left no name, and you would never do such a cowardly thing.”

She barked a laugh. “I’d never be so brazen, either. Red roses, where everyone can see? I’d never force a response like that.”

She straightened up, smile still a bit weak, but with the casual confidence he so enjoyed returning to her stance. 

“Would you - “

But his question was interrupted by a voice from behind them.

“J?” It was Mikoto, apparently oblivious as to how the two jerked away from each other at her call. “The meeting is about to start. And Renais, Maintenance needs you at sector 7-2-Alpha for hull repair. Its listed as urgent.”

Renais swore, and hurried away, gone almost before J could turn back to her.

“If you’re ready Soldato?”

She didn’t wait for his response, heels clicking on the tile as she returned up the corridor.

So she didn’t see J kneel to pick up what had fallen from Renais’ hand as the young woman left so quickly.

White, Green and Purple. The little bundle of flowers was tiny in comparison to the bouquet that marred his desk. But, as J trailed after Mikoto, wondering what these new flowers could mean…

He couldn’t help but notice the scent of Stars.

\------------------ 

If looks could kill with questions, Swan would have reduced Mikoto to a smear on the carpet. As it was, the young woman remained completely oblivious to the look of pure _‘why’_ painted across Swan’s face when she lead J back into the meeting with Renais nowhere near.

But work was technically more important than romance, so Swan said nothing.

But she did watch J carefully.

He returned to his desk and stared fixedly at the red roses. Then, as if he hadn't noticed the earlier horrified reactions, he swept them off his desk and into the trash, stoic expression on his face giving no hint to his thoughts.

Swan pouted while the others winced. No one else knew they were fake. But perhaps she should prepare some inflammable tissues for should Renais experienced the same disdain when her feelings were revealed.

\--------------------

Renais didn't have time to think about her conversation with J for four hours. Emergency hull repair was the exact sort of thing that cyborgs were good - and in her case best - at. She could jump through air locks with no suit, maneuvering in space far easier, with no fear of vacuum even on the inside of the ship.

But what made her particularly useful was her ears.

She hummed and ran a hand over the newly repaired metal. It was still warm to the touch. The rest of the repair crew watched her nervously. They all had worked their asses off over the last four hours, desperately repairing the damage before it endangered the rest of the station. Some still wore their space suits. Others wore grim expressions. All watched her.

She thumped the patch, hard, and bent down to listen. 

A moment later she stood and nodded once.

Relief flooded the corridor. The foreman spoke into his walkie-talkie, and the heavy doors on either end of the corridor began to retract. 

Renais’ ears could pick up faults that no other sensor could. A knock at the right place could tell her if a patch was fraying, or a panel about to buckle. And she was always listening for the tell tale whistle of air escaping through unseen holes. 

This time no-one had been injured when the hull gave out. This time the sensors had done their work and alerted the repair crew before the wall broke. This time, everything had gone right.

But who knew about next time. They were always running low on supplies and manpower. Even with the ship mostly repaired and hull breaches down to maybe once or twice a day, confined to areas that had not been approved for human habitation, there was still the chance of a disaster.

It seemed selfish to think about romance and love affairs when everyone on the ship was in danger. 

“Where next?” She asked.

The foreman checked his schedule and shook his head. “This is the last outer breach. We should be good from now on.”

Renais pointed down the corridor, where another bulkhead was shut tight. “What about that?”

The foreman, Gary, shook his head again. “We ain’t got the materials for that one. Nor for the rest of that wing. It’s all non-essential stuff anyways. We’ll keep it locked up for now, and fix it when they find more metal.” 

The foreman was a big man, of the heavy, muscle-bound American type that was favored by the 3G engineering department. As foreman, he was also the type to take any one he could possibly misconstrue as a kid under his wing. 

He clapped Renais on the shoulder. “You should get some sleep, girl. Or get back to the shield project. We’ll call you when we need you.”

She sighed, but nodded. Gary knew what he was doing, and she left him to it, shoving her hands into her coat pockets and heading towards Takehaya and her next project.

It was only then, four hours after leaving J behind, that she realized the flowers she prepared were gone.


	4. Chapter 4

“Um. Mr. Soldato?”

J glanced up from examining his schedule. Another week playing babysitter to scientists and dragging them across the solar system. The longest time he would spend in one one place was the day long mining mission to the asteroid belt. He hoped the team was less irritating this time. The first mission nearly resulted in the whole group being jettisoned for asking too many questions.

Maybe there was someway to ban them from the bridge, he considered as he turned to the nervous scientist.

He wasn’t particularly familiar with the chubby man; his uniform read Kazuo, and J had seen him around the bridge, constantly watering the plants. Presumably, he was some kind of biologist.

“What is it?”

The scientist gulped again. “It’s...about the roses.”

“Were they yours?”

“Yes? I mean - not like that! - I grew them in my hydroponic bays. But I’m not interested - I mean, I’m sure you’re nice and all that, but…”

J’s patience was wearing thing. “Get to the point.”

Kazuo swallowed, then nearly shouted, “You shouldn’t treat flowers like that!”

J leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Why not?”

“Flowers are...they’re signs of people’s feelings.”

“I know that now.”

“Then how could you just throw them away? I worked hard on those! Somebody must care about you a lot to need them to express their feelings.”

J glanced around the room. While the other bridge staff were carefully not looking in his direction, he could sense their attention on him. Apparently, he was supposed to apologize now. 

Instead, he sneered. “I am not interested in the feelings of an anonymous coward. One who rather force my hand than face me on an honorable field is neither worth my time or my attention.” He pitched his voice such that everyone in the room could hear, should they so choose. “Such a person is a fool as well as coward if they I would return their feelings without question. I stand by my answer.”

Kazuo sputtered. “You...you might break their heart.”

“Nothing I know of humans indicates that would be fatal.”

“Not usually, but…”

“But nothing. You people may assume what you wish about me, but I am not interested in playing some silly game with something so serious. I cannot return the feelings of a coward, and I will not debase myself simply to appease your human customs. That is all I will say on the matter.”

He slammed his desk drawer closed and made to leave, pushing past Kazuo and ignoring the stares from the rest of the staff. Whispers started up the moment he left.

“Well, that went poorly.” Kazuo said, flowers retrieved from the trash clutched in his hands. 

Swan narrowed her eyes, and looked towards the door J had left from. The Soldato’s intensity had surprised her. Perhaps flowers meant something very different on his world. Maybe he was asexual, like Mikoto believed. Certainly it seemed that shows of intimacy disgusted him.

Or, perhaps, her actions with the fake flowers had insulted his honor in some way. That explanation would explain his actions just as surely as if...well.

As if he was secretly disappointed that he had not received flowers from someone specific.

Kazuo watched the smile spread across Swans face and shivered. He’d clear out every rose in the entire ship, if that meant not being the target of that smile.

\-----------------

Well, at the very least, if the bouquet was lost to the void no one would be able to tease her about it. And it would be easy enough to replace.

Renais tugged at another violet, wincing when it came free with a drop of blood on the end. She’d grown a whole meadow over the night, thanks in part to dreams of cool hands on her shoulders and blue eyes staring into hers. Luckily the scratchy feeling in her throat had subsided, as had the sweet scent on her breath. 

She was no less ruthless with the next flower. Already a bunch twice the size of her earlier bouquet graced her desk. And more needed to come off, or people would notice.

And still the yellow flowers had not yet begun to emerge. According to all her reading, and the helpful diagrams in the pamphlet, they should have been half out by now.

Renais was partially grateful that they weren't causing her more trouble, but worried at the idea that her feelings could get more intense. She was already wasting hours a day on this lunacy - what if it got worse?

When she explained this to Dr. Lily the physician merely sighed.

Renais had come to her for an x-ray, to make sure the warning tickle had not been indicative of serious damage.

“You are worried about losing breath?” was the obvious question.

“I'm worried about losing _time_.” The young woman groaned. “I know this is stupid. And a waste of everyone's time. Mine, yours…”

“I could simply remove the problem.”

“No!” Her response was vehement, a surprise even though Lily had been half expecting it. She continued, quieter this time. “No. He would hate me then.”

Lily raised a brow. “He never need know about it. He apparently doesn’t know about this yet.”

Renais’ brow creased. “But…” Then she shook her head. “No. Covering up your feelings is wrong. Even - maybe especially - bad feelings. It's what got us Zonders and Primevals and Bio-Net Cyborgs. He would understand that, even if you won’t.”

The doctor finished running the scanner down Renais’ chest. “ It's not that I don’t sympathize with your feelings. It's just that we don’t have the same resources as back on Earth. Hanahaki is dangerous - what if you start coughing on a space walk? Or while firing a weapon? If I do the surgery now, it will be simple enough…”

“No.”

Lily hid her smile. Renais was so like her cousin, always willing to do what was ‘right', even if it hurt.

“Well, it shouldn’t be a problem yet. The scanner picked up some inflammation, but no roots yet, and certainly no petals. You should be fine, but I do need to warn you that the longer the disease holds, the more likely it is to become dangerous.”

Renais sighed. “I know. I just...there’s no time.”

Lily sniffed, acting like it was the easiest thing in the world. “Make some.” 

\------------ 

J ruffled his feathers in frustration. His ship was full of equipment and people once again, just when he wanted some time alone. He wanted - no, needed - to talk with Tomorro about the flowers he’d found, whose scent still clung to his fingers, catching his attention and distracting him from the tasks at hand.

“So if we remove this panel, will it regenerate?” One scientist was asking, his voice a constant, buzzing whine in J’s ears.

“The Regenerating armor cannot create something out of nothing, unless we have a far greater source of power than you humans have available.” 

This did not, apparently, bother the scientist, and he continued, “Well, do you have that kind of power? We still haven’t completely figured out how the armor works…”

“No. The arc can maintain itself, but you cannot ask it to build you a whole fleet.”

“What if we hook up you and Guy’s stones - ”

“No!” J barely caught himself from striking the man. 

The scientist had reached out a hand, about to touch the raised J-Jewel on J’s gauntlet. He quickly pulled his hand back, but his self-preservation did not seem enough to prevent him from continuing to speak.

“If you just let us examine the ship’s Jewel - “

J’s wings lashed.

“Get out.” 

“Wh- “

“OUT.”

Finally, the man reacted appropriately, fleeing as J advanced upon him, lab-coat flapping as he ran as fast as his legs could take him, other scientists jerking out of the way as he fled.

They all turned back to their work after he left, except for one Dr. Price.

Kimi Price, the engineer working closest with Tomoro and thus the only scientist whose name J had bothered to learn, wandered up a moment later, wry smile upon her face.

“I take it Brent’s finally outlived his welcome. What’d he do?”

J turned to her, still fuming. “You would not understand.” 

She shrugged. “Just tell me what not to do then. We all know we’re here out of kindness, not because you need our help to get your ship running again. The fate of 3G might depend on what we learn from you - So it's in all of our best interests to not piss you off.”

“Dr. Brat wants to mess with our J-Jewels.” Tomoro’s voice chimed from the com on Kimi’s data-pad. “That’s really - um - not polite? Its like…” There was a rumble of static, as the AI considered an appropriate human metaphor. “Like asking to see the inside of your brain.”

“Ah. I suppose that makes sense.” She considered. “Cyborg Guy does not like anyone but Mikoto touching his Stone, either. Would you prefer the Chaussier Girl to be added to your medical team?” 

J blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You didn’t know? You have a medical team, just like the rest of the full cyborgs. Tomoro assures me that he can guided us through any necessary repairs, though training a weapon’s specialist on surgery is - “ 

“He’s confused about why you would assume he’d let Renais touch him.” Tomoro interrupted, bubbling amusement hidden in his voice. 

“...oh. Forgive me. I assumed, since you...uh…” The young woman flushed scarlet. “Shit. You don’t have to kick me off, I’ll go by myself…”

“No, don’t go!” Tomoro said, “I won’t let him get angry over a simple mistake.”

“But…”

“J just doesn’t get subtly. He doesn’t understand human thinking like I do.” The AI spoke with clear pride. “Just explain to the other humans that it's not like that.”

Kimi nodded “Gotcha.” And, before J could ask further questions, she added. “We’re testing the thrusters in a few minutes. That’s why I came up - Just needed to warn you. But I need to get back now…”

And then she hurried off, enough of a flush still on her face that J was relatively sure she was partially trying to get away from the conversation.

“What is _like that_?” J asked, as work resumed around him and he was able to retreat back to the upper command deck. 

Tomoro snorted, half in his mind, half aloud from the Jewel that connected them. 

_It's stupid human stuff._

“It's it about ‘relationships'?” 

_You’ve heard about them?_

J flexed his feathers again. “Someone left roses on my desk this morning.”

_Oh-ho. You’ve got a secret admirer. Were they from Renais?_

“She said not. Why would you assume that?” A pause. “Does it have something to do with what Dr. Price said?”

_Well...You did let her pilot your ship. The humans don’t know what that means -_

“It was the only way to defeat the Sol Masters!” J hissed, only to have Tomoro continue speaking over him.

_\- but they understand that you have some kind of connection. And they can only understand it through their world view._

“And that is…’relationships’?”

_As far as I can tell._

“Which means what, exactly?”

_I’m not completely sure. It's something to do with their family structure. Apparently it's really important. Caused a lot of Zonders, if you remember. But Guy and Mikoto are in a relationship, too, and everyone agrees that’s why they’re so powerful._

“Guy and Mikoto are _paired_. Their connection can be felt through every G-Stone, and their feelings and devotion to the other is the core of their strength. Is that a relationship?”

_I think so._

“So people believe, because we flew together, Renais and I are...paired?”

_If I say yes, will you get angry at them?_

J opened his mouth to respond, and stopped. Normally he would be angry. There were so many idiotic human notions and customs. And the idea that he and Renais were - well, they were nothing like Guy and Mikoto, _that_ was certain. And it wasn’t even possible for humans to truly pair, right? They had no psychic connection, could not identify a good match, could not even fly…

_They might not be able to pair but they have their own customs. Like growing flowers and having big announcement parties. “Weddings" they call them. Even Latio had one, with his human partner._ Tomoro added, _And the ones with G-Stones could do most of what Green and Red Planeters do. Even if it doesn’t come naturally. So you could pair for a bit with your Rose maker, if you wanted._

J sputtered. “I am not that...that...that frivolous!” 

He could feel Tomoro’s grin. _Really. Just because you’re a total novice doesn’t mean…_

“We are not having this conversation. Certainly not until - “

Tomoro waited for him to finish, but as the silence stretched on, he prompted, _Until?_

J wished he had bitten his tongue faster. But now that Tomoro knew, he unclenched his fist and lay the small bunch of flowers on the balustrade.

“Until I find out why Renais had these.”


	5. A sneaky AI

Tomoro was giddy. He had to be careful not to sing whenever J was within hearing, or let on his excitement around the scientists who were everywhere around the ship. 

But still. He hadn’t needed to run any analysis at all to confirm that the flowers J had found, apparently accidentally left behind by the French cyborg, did indeed smell like Star Flowers. Of course, the AI had immediately researched everything he could about humans and their need to gift flowers, and on the way he had found some very interesting information.

Though, admittedly, some of it was disturbing as well. He wasn’t sure if he should tell J of the danger inherent in human infatuations. In _Hirume's_ medical logs there were records of humans who had died from coughing on flowers, or who had turned their face to the walls and wasted away into blossoms. 

Still, it was fascinating to think that humans grew flowers from their bodies. No wonder they placed such value on them as tokens of affection! They were really not so different from the peoples of the Trinary system after all. 

Of course, the image of the ever-serious Soldato saving feathers just as diligently as a human fledgling was hilarious. Enough to send Tomoro chuckling into his code, until a random connection lit up his network.

The AI silenced, and reviewed the data, illuminated in a new light. His master had been looking ill. Acting irritable, rather than aloof. His awareness seemed to be heightened, sensors picking up trace scents and sounds as if desperate to find something…

Or some _one_. 

The AI was no longer laughing. Instead, he was suddenly very, very invested.

\-------------- 

“Swan?”

The American looked up, surprised that Dr. Lily had come all the way to the bridge. The doctor generally just touched base during their frequent tea breaks in the canteen. 

Swan looked worried. “Is there something wrong?”

The other woman placed a data pad on the desk. “Maybe. I received a request for all the medical files of a certain individual. The requester did not have authorization, but the firewall was barely able to push them back.”

Swan’s eyes narrowed. “Really. Were any other files accessed?”

“Only some freely available information on general human biology and reproduction.” She narrowed her eyes. “You may have woken a monster.”

“Hmm.” Swan said. “Kosuke!” 

The slim tech looked up, deep bags beneath his eyes, and shuffled over, trailing dandruff.

“Yes, Swan?”

“Have there been any requests upon the 3G computer system that seemed out of place?”

He blinked. “Yes, actually. We just had a massive data transfer on general human culture. Volfogg just notified me about it. We’re having a lot of trouble tracking down the source. We can’t be certain it wasn’t a mistake made during reboots, so we haven’t brought it to Taiga yet, but some of the techs are already worried about aliens…”

“Well, it's probably not _unknown_ aliens.” Swan muttered, while Lily asked, “What were the contents of the files?”

Kosuke scratched his head, sending white flakes everywhere. “Well...it's weird. It was mostly romance novels, of all things.”

Swan breathed a sigh of relief. “I think I know what’s going on. Can you call up Tomoro, please?”

Kosuke’s brow creased, but he nodded and shuffled back to his station.

A moment later, an image popped onto Swan’s computer.

“Moshi Moshi, Tomo-desku~” The eyeball symbol of the J-Arc’s AI chirped.

“Tomoro.” Swan’s voice was stern. “Did your master just request information on human customs from our computers?” 

The eye widened. “What?! No!”

“Really. Because we just had a massive data transfer…”

The eye bobbed. “I mean - he didn’t request it. I did. Please don’t tell J I stole your stuff!” 

\----------------- 

A few minutes later, after transferring the call to a near - and not so public - conference room, Tomoro explained. 

“Something weird happened to J yesterday, having to do with human relationships.”

Lily glanced at Swan, and the other woman quickly looked away as the AI described the situation.

“He got flowers from someone on the ship. He doesn’t show it, but it really bothered him. So I grabbed all the information I could about human relationships, to understand them better.”

Swan sighed. “That’s what I thought. I’ll message Kosuke to stop panicking about that. Tomoro, you can’t do that again.”

The eye spun. “Why not? The information was all right there.”

“To be accessed by humans. And the rest of 3G. You nearly sent the whole ship into high alert because some alien race might have been probing for information.”

Tomoro mimed a cough. “Well, technically…”

“And aliens might use that information to attack 3G.”

“...oh. Uh. I guess I should tell you next time?”

Swan nodded, feeling a bit like a stern school-teacher scolding a child.

“Contact Kosuke through normal channels, and he and Volfogg can set you up with proper access.” She rubbed her forehead. “We should have given you access earlier, but I’m sure Kosuke forgot. We do want you to have access to our libraries, and to be able to share data from your missions with the science teams"

Tomoro spoke up. “Does that mean we wouldn’t have to have the scientists always on the Arc?”

Swan’s brows creased. “Why would you want that?”

“Oh, I don’t mind. But they irritate J. If we could just do the scans and send the data back, it would be a lot faster and safer for your people.”

Swan considered. “Well, if you could help Volfogg translate from your systems to that of the _Takehaya_ then I don’t see that being a problem…”

“It would be a lot better for us. We can still do mining missions and stuff. And Dr. Price is always welcome. But J needs some time alone.” 

Swan’s eyes narrowed. “Really. Does that have anything to do with the content of your data transfer?”

“Well…” The AI spun again, and seemed to look away. “He really hasn’t ever worked with so many people. Reds are very solitary. He needs time to adjust to having non-soldiers underfoot.” Then his tone became thoughtful. “Maybe if more of the G-Stone cyborgs were included in the work crews.”

“Like Guy?” Swan asked lightly.

“He has his own ship, doesn’t he? We wouldn’t want to interrupt his important work for something so minor.”

“Renais, then? She works with Volfogg on the _Takehaya_. I’m sure she could be re-assigned for some of the longer missions. Assuming her work allows it.”

“That would be a good solution!” The AI beamed, and Swan had to press her lips together to hide a grin at the poor thing’s attempt at manipulation. It could learn a bit from Volfogg, if it wanted to hide its intentions from the humans.

“Very well. Do you have any other requests?”

“I do.” Dr. Lily spoke out.

“Yes, Doctor?” Tomoro asked, still clearly happy.

“Medical files are restricted for a reason.” There was stern ice in her voice. "If you wish to access my information in the future, go through the proper channels. Or I will have you permanently kicked out of the system.”

The AI gulped. “Yes, Dr. Lily.”

The doctor nodded, once. “Good. I would not like to think what would happen to you if Renais discovered you tried to steal her files.”

The AI whitened. 

Swan added, “She would feel very hurt.”

“Betrayed, even.”

“And I imagine that would reflect poorly on your master.”

The AI’s eye widened, confirming both their suspicions.

“It won’t happen again!” 

\----------------- 

“So...does this mean she told him?” Lily asked as they left, figuring doctor-patient confidentiality was no longer as necessary given the circumstances.

Swan sighed. “No, unfortunately. I may have...made a bit of a mistake.”

Lily turned to her friend, “What did you do?”

“I just tried to give them a push.” She coughed. “I didn’t expect him to dump my flowers in the trash right in front of her!”

So that’s why she came by. Lily muttered to herself. Then, “Damnit! I should have guilted the AI into giving me data on the Soldatos!”

Swan swore as well, agreeing that it would have been an excellent idea. 

Lily shook her head. “Well at least we’ve got another ally. The AI certainly seems more interested in human customs than the alien.”

“I hope you’re wrong.” Swan said. “Surely there must be _something_ about us that interests him.”


	6. Overheard

J floated, surrounded by blessed silence, and reveled in it.

He didn’t particularly enjoy pure vacuum, but with every corner of his ship infested with scientists, it had simply gotten too much. He needed _silence_ , and it had been too long since he’d flown.

Or, in this case, floated. 

The sky in the little solar system they’d found themselves in was not nearly as beautiful as that of the Red Planet, or even that of Earth, and he ached to feel the strain and rush of defying gravity in a true sky. But this was close enough, so he hovered, barely tethered to his ship by a thin line of power, facing away from the mess of the 3G satellites and his own ship, looking out into the endless void.

He wished he could breathe in atmosphere, but there were no worlds in the system, only hunks of asteroids that had never coalesced into planets. Looking out, he saw some of the closest ones, simple shadows obscuring the distant stars, not a color to be seen. 

Still, the void called, making him ache for the freedom it could bring, while knowing his honor would never let him abandon companions he had fought beside.

Even it it was damn tempting. 

The problem, it seemed, was that he was bored. When they were fighting for their lives in the collapsing Trinary System he hadn’t minded the press of humanity around him. Even after they escaped, he had tolerated the missions, despite the lack of true danger, because they challenged his skills as a pilot and a navigator. 

But now there was less and less to do, each mission more targeted and more reliant upon the detailed plans of the scientists. It was all better for the humans: they were the ones at risk when their station buckled, they were the ones liable to die if they ran out of resources, they were the ones crammed on on top of one another in the tiny fraction of their spaceships that remained habitable. 

But the less he had to do, the more their constant presence grated on him. And the less they needed him, the more removed he felt from the 3G team. Not that it bothered him, but it just added to the sense that there was something wrong.

But not in any way he was familiar with. He was intimately accustomed to the ache of the void, and had compiled whole lists of the little irritations humanity brought with it. That was not the true problem. Nor was it a warning of hidden danger. His instinct for conflict was near-perfect: he he had been programmed to recognize the instant something hinted at a possible attack, and could react appropriately no matter the circumstances. But what was wrong now was nothing he’d ever felt before. There was no attack on the horizon, no hidden threat that his instincts were warning him of.

Instead, there was something wrong with _him_. A misaligned sensor, an ache at the base of his skull, weariness in his limbs unrelated to any physical activity.

It was all wrong. Soldatos were supposed to have been designed better than this. Above such petty concerns as boredom and better designed than to have mysterious pains. 

It was probably something Cain had insisted in putting into the design. Another one of those “authentic” things that Abel had been mostly unconcerned with.

Coming to this conclusion, J sighed and disengaged from his meditation, accepting the uncomfortable truth that he had no idea what was wrong with him, and thus had no simple solution. He would have to ask Tomoro, the next time the AI had time for him.

\---------------- 

“Fuck the Green Bastard!”

Renais started in her bunk, sitting up so quickly she hit her head hard on the ceiling. 

Generally, she tried not to listen to people’s private conversations. Her unique skills were instead turned towards listening for escaping air or failing machinery while on dangerously damaged 3G ships. 

It was only habit from her time at Chaussier and Interpol that she immediately keyed into arguments. Police at all levels were at risk for domestic violence, and she had broken up dozens of arguments around the precinct until the rank and file finally learned that she not only didn’t tolerate beating wives or prisoners, but also that she was perfectly happy to intervene without bringing in upper management. 

That wasn’t a problem at 3G. Their board chose candidates very carefully, given the long, confined nature of their mission, and that foresight had paid out in the way that the whole permanent 3G team worked together with minimal tension both in the workplace and out of it, even in the extreme circumstances they found themselves in now.

Of course, when the yelling happened literally four rooms away, Renais didn’t feel quite so bad about listening in. At least until she was certain there would be no blows exchanged.

“Brent, he had every right to ask you to leave. It's his ship.” 

She recognized the voices; Dr. Brent Cratos and Enrique Macron. They were, technically, her neighbors, even if she only occasionally passed them in the halls. She doubted they even realized she lived a bare two doors down from them. Else Dr. Brat and his boyfriend might have chosen their words a tad more carefully. 

“Fuck that. If he wants to be part of the team, then he should act like it." There was a thump of a body hitting a bed with too much force. “And even if he doesn’t, he shouldn’t have a choice.”

“You asked about his power-source. You know how weird cyborgs get about that.”

“So what? If he’s as logical as they say, he should see the utility of having a better mind look at it.”

“Kimi said its like were asking to stick your fingers in his soul.”

“Please. She just is acting special 'cus the robot likes her.”

“You still had no right to ask.”

“He didn't have any problem sharing with that French bitch. But _she_ doesn't have the skill to understand the Arc if he kicks the bucket.”

Renais throttled back her irritation and listened on as Dr. Macron, the only person who apparently _enjoyed_ spending long periods of time with Dr. Brat, asked “What do you mean?”

“He’s clearly sick. And you know the arrogant ass won't come to us for help, so it’ll just get worse. If he kicks it, where does that leave us? Without the only fully functional ship in the fleet, and no chance to reboot it because the only one who understood it was too stuck up his own ass to give up his power source.”

“I wouldn't frame your intervention request quite like that.”

“Please. Taiga would take my side. He had to deal with the same bullshit when the Primevals attacked.”

“He might, but I doubt you could convince Guy to agree, and you know he's the only alternative pilot. But the Evolver won't give up on Galeon, unless you have some damn good evidence."

“Everybody else can see it.”

“See what, Brent?” 

Dimly, Renais remembered that Marcon was a zoologist working under Kazuo. If anyone could identify an illness in an alien creature, it was him.

But Brent seemed hesitant to answer, shifting in his bed and making the mattress squeak.

“If you don't explain, I won't believe you either.” Marcon said, sternly, but backed it up with a motion - a rustle of fabric and creek of the bed - that Renais could guess as sitting down next to Brent and placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Fine, fine. He reminds me of my aunt’s parrot. The one I accidentally murdered, okay? It ate something, and it's feathers turned white and then all fell out. And then it died, and it was my fault, and really traumatizing, okay? So thanks for reminding me.”

“The same is happening to J?” There was concern in Marcon’s voice, though whether for the alien or his roommate was hard to tell.

“Yeah. Not that anyone else wants to mention it. But just looking at him reminds me…”

“So you've been acting an ass because - “

“Hey! I have not -" the sound of Bret pushing Marcon away, his voice affronted.

“You have. But I'll look into it. I promise. You just figure out a way to interface with ship, in case the worst comes.”

Brent sighed. “Fine. I won't upset you apple cart."

“Good. I’ll make it worth your while.”

“Oh?” now there was a cocky grin in Brent’s voice.

“Mmm. And maybe you could find it in you to say thanks...”

“I’m sure I can think of one thing to be grateful for…”

Renais gagged, and quickly turned her mind to listening to something - anything - else. She had heard everything she needed to from the scientists, and had gotten very good at blocking out the sounds of their - and the rest of the crew’s- nightly activities. 

Sometimes it felt a bit like they were rubbing it in, though. She would have been more irritated, if the content of their words hadn't worried her so much.

She’d barely met J, and now he was going to _die_? How was that fair?


	7. Chapter 7

Realistically, there was no way J was _actually_ going to die, Renais told herself.

That did not stop her from spending a fitful night tossing and turning, dreams of feathers fading to dust and falling through her hands, heart racing for no reason, as if there was a battle just beyond her sight that she could not win.

Needless to say, she wasn’t surprised when she tasted sweetness on her breath in the morning and looked in the mirror to find flowers creeping up the sides of her neck, clearly visible above the collar of her pajamas and vibrant in their colors. 

She called Tomoro as soon as she had made herself presentable and hidden everything back away. One part of her dignity protected, before she made a total fool of herself in another way.

“Renais?!” The eye that appeared in her view-screen spun and bounced, seemingly an indicator of happiness. 

“Tomoro. Sorry for calling - “

“Oh no! You are always welcome to call! And your timing is perfect! J has a question for you!”

“What - no! I wanted - “

But the AI had already brought up another screen. 

J looked just as disheveled as she felt, and Renais guiltily realized that her schedule was likely completely different than his, what with repair and rewiring best happening at night, when the scientists and primary engineers were asleep.

“Renais.” Unlike Tomoro, he seemed surprised to see her. 

“Uh - Tomoro said you had a question?” Her voice sounded weak to her ears, even as she searched his face for the signs that Brent had noticed. The black-and-white monitors prevented her from telling if his plumage was fading, but there were new lines of exhaustion and frustration on his face.

“Oh. Yes. Why do you not have a command center like Guy and the Chinese captain?” 

The question was so completely out of left field that it took a moment to fully comprehend. Part of her had hoped he might ask more about human relationships, or demand her presence for some important reason.

Instead, it was a completely sensible question, given everything she knew of the man and his view of command structures.

“Guy leads the whole mobile division. Captain Ling has been given oversight over FuRyu and RaiRyu. Just like Hyuuma, Stallion and Kosuke with their respective mobile units.”

“Yes. So why have you not been given the same resources? Your post is not listed on the database, nor is your name listed among the Captains.”

“Neither is Stallion. For the same reason, really. AnRyu, KouRyu, along with Goldymarg and Mic the 13th, all have been depowered.” There was a surprised gasp from Tomoro, but J said nothing as she continued. “We don’t have the resources to keep all the mecha running, and their technicians are needed elsewhere. Right at the beginning, after we got out of the Trinary System, they all agreed on who should stay awake. FuRyu and RaiRyu were chosen because of their building and excavation abilities, along with HyoRyu and EnRyu for their rescue specialties. Everyone else is powered down until we find the resources to restart the generators.”

It was easy enough to explain, all cold logic and simple facts, but Renais found herself unable to stare into the view-screen as she explained. She had been part of that last discussion, and the trust her girls had placed in her, certain that she would not allow a repeat of the disastrous shutdown in the Trinary System, fully believing that one day they would be woken again - It had been inspiring, even as every emotional fiber within her had called out to hang ‘logic' and fight for her girls as hard as she could.

She’d sat with them, where they were tied onto the edge of the 3G ship cluster, as their energy ran out and their bodies went limp. Their G-Stones would have been enough to keep them ‘alive' - but humans had needed their core components to rebuild organic bodies and to power their failing ships. So her girls had sacrificed themselves, certain that Renais would awaken them again, when they were needed.

Maybe she’d been working so hard partially to put the thought of them, frozen in space, bodies half-deconstructed, out of her mind. As if the harder she worked, the faster her friends would come back.

What a foolish thought.

“I, too, know the feeling of sacrificing one’s soldiers.” 

She looked up, surprised to see no disdain on J’s face. 

“Thank you for your answer.” 

And then he was gone, leaving her own questions completely unanswered.

\------------------- 

The problem with perfect plans, Tomoro realized, was that if you didn’t tell people about them, no one would appreciate your genius. Which rather ruined the surprise. Doubly so if they obstinately did the exact opposite of what they were supposed to do, or pretended that your perfect plan was anything but. 

His master was the perfect example. If Tomoro said “we should include Renais in our science missions" surely J would come up with a hundred reasons why the girl might be a hindrance. Tomoro knew this, because he tested the waters by asking about Swan.

“Her? She manages half the projects on the 3G station. Her skills are needed there, and her nagging is not needed here. If you let her on my ship, I swear I will dump you in the nearest volcano we find.”

“But she’s worth ten of those scientists. So we wouldn’t need all of them if she came along.”

“Dr. Price would be better. She interfaces well with you and is not a source of constant irritation.”

“Mmm, but I wouldn’t want to take her away from her girlfriend for long periods.”

“Double the reason we cannot include Swan in the scouting mission, then. She seems beloved by the entire crew.”

_If only you knew._ Tomoro thought. Swan’s proclivities were hardly a secret among the ship, in fact she positively shouted on every public forum that any and all were welcome to learn human intimate customs with her. 

Had Tomoro the correct apparatus, he might even have taken her up on the offer, if just to understand the stranger human needs. The novels and the videos he had ‘borrowed' did little to clarify the situation, and he worried that if J discovered the same things that he would never want to speak to any human, even Renais, again.

He tried again. “We need someone to interface with the 3G crew. Especially if we want to do that full solar system scan like The Evolver wants. Its that or include a full science team.”

J groaned at the thought. “No. I’d rather give them their pesky data after the mission is over.” 

“That’ll take too long. It’d be better to transfer everything through the G-Stone’s infinite information circuits.”

“You’ve been talking to Dr. Brent. If you really think I will let a man like that - “

“No, no! Just someone with a G-Stone. Maybe Guy could come along?”

“He is just as busy as Swan. It would be better to leave him in charge of the nearby mining missions. If what Renais says is true, it would be far more efficient for us to scan the system, beam the information back to the base, the scientists analyse the data there, then send Guy’s team out on shorter missions.”

“But that brings us back to the same problem.”

J was silent a moment, and Tomoro eagerly waited for him to come to the logical conclusion.

“...the robots.”

“Eh?”

“The Chaussier Robots. Renais’s command. I’ve seen their cores - they’re basically primitive computers. They could be used to transfer any information we might find. They would be faster than any human, and quiet. Assuming you can interface with them as easily as I interfaces with Renais,there would be no problems.”

Tomoro sputtered. “That’s - That’s - “

“Logical?” 

The AI thought fast, recalculating how he could spin this, admittedly better, solution.

“Hypocritical!”

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t want people messing with your J-Jewel, yet you want me to connect with some unknown, virus-ridden primitives?”

“I’m sure Renais takes care of her soldiers just as well as I care for you.”

“Why don’t you interface with her, if you want to be so efficient?” 

The words slipped out, apparently as natural irritation, rather than something Tomoro had been building towards for the entire conversation. If J himself wouldn’t say it…

But his master’s reaction was off. Instead of immediately realizing Tomoro’s suggestion to be correct and heaping on the appropriate approval, he became silent.

After a minute with no response, J finally said, “You’re right, Tomoro. I could not ask you to open yourself in such a way. Talk to their communications commander. Perhaps there is another way to perform the data transfer.”

Then he shut down their communication channel, leaving Tomoro wondering just how he screwed up so badly, despite his perfect, perfect plan.

\------------------- 

Not long after her failed communication with Tomoro, Renais received new orders. Swan announced a general staff reorganization on the 3G ships. This didn’t come to much of a surprise to Renais. They had opened up enough of _Hirume_ , and everyone had become used to the tighter quarters. Yes, a hundred people were shoved into a total space of about an office building, but at least there was a working cafeteria and light gravity, and the walls didn’t buckle so much anymore. The scientists were slowly returning to their labs, now in modified slim space-suits that allowed them to carry oxygen with them and not fear the cold of space too much. 

Everything else - unlocking the rest of the ships, starting up the real generators, and switching the base into some semblance of sustainable - depended on finding rare elements hidden in the asteroid belt. 

The first mining mission started a day after the staff reorganization, with Galeon and the J-arc towing equipment and engineers to the nearest cluster of asteroids to harvest iron and nickel. Apparently the Arc also caught water-based comets, which Renais would have paid good money to see. Later missions would take the mobile units further into the solar system, to collect the harder to find oxygen and helium rich asteroids. 

Renais watched the Arc and Galeon leave from the cafeteria, curled tight against the glass in a nook ten feet off the floor. She hadn't been able to come up with an excuse to be closer, so she ate her day's rations as she watched the Arc decouple from the thin umbilical of the space-walk, white mist venting as the corridor retracted from its side and the arc maneuvered carefully around the cluster of other ships.

In a few hours, Renais would walk the same path to reach _Takehaya_ and continue with the communication repairs, all the more important as teams ventured further and further away. It was work she was good at: she had a steady hand and a precision that no full human could replicate. It was vital, important, and utterly boring. No different than hull repairs, really, except that the later involved welding and the former carefully laying wiring. 

But laying cables in the void was better than looking longingly out the windows, feeling the weight of flowers on her chest. And working herself into exhaustion was better than thinking of J getting further and further away every moment.

She forced herself to look away, ignoring the grand sight of the Arc’s engines firing up, and went back to her tiny workstation, trapped by frustration and selflessness in equal amounts.

The fact that she didn’t notice Swan watching her was hardly a surprised, but indicated just how distracted her thoughts were leaving her.


	8. Hideaway

Tomoro decided to stop being subtle.

“I think I have something that might make you feel better.”

The AI's cheery voice interrupted J’s brooding. He was watching at the scientists and engineer’s moved their equipment out of the loading bays, bickering all the way. Dr. Brent’s nasal, impetuous voice grated like crushed glass as he ordered the rest around, chiding the others for endangering his equipment. Even J could read the irritation on the other scientists faces: despite the difficulty of reading subtle human emotions, the scientists and engineers were making no attempt to hide their exasperation with the man. Unfortunately for everyone, he was the leader for the mission, and thus actually deserved the air of authority he had. Apparently, the sonar system Dr. Brent’s Cratos created was good for more than melting things to the ground. It also could be used in scanning for minerals beneath rocky surfaces.

So, given the humans desperately needed metal ores, “Dr. Brat” was in control for this one, and J couldn’t ban him from the ship, no matter how much he grated on everyone’s nerves.

Tomoro was an appreciated distraction.

“What do I need to feel better about?”

The AI sounded smug in J’s head. “About your problem. The one you - we - couldn’t figure out. I think you need more exercise.”

J’s brow’s rose beneath his helm, but he followed after the directions Tomoro gave, leaving the scientists to their bickering and moving deeper into the ship.

“My mechanical parts do not degrade as human flesh does.”

He halted in front of a plain door, the wall as blank as everything else in the ship. Humans became lost easily in the Arc, especially given the way Tomoro regularly rearranged everything to open and close new spaces to optimize for whatever current mission. J had no such problem, feeling the shifts in his bones and knowing the new layout near instinctively. 

So he knew Tomoro had shuffled to give more sensor hookups - and therefore walls - to the scientists and more external access to the engineers to mount their machines. There were plenty of gaps throughout the ship, and Tomoro had apparently combined half a dozen of them into a large, unused room, far away from the areas the humans would ever need to venture.

“Your machines may not need the exercise, by your mind does. You’re probably bored. You haven’t had a good fight in weeks.”

The AI was hardly wrong, but the idea that J could be so easily compromised stung. 

He waved a hand to open the door, trying not to be irritated that Tomoro read him so well.

Beyond that…

There was darkness. An empty room, not a single window, not a light on the ceiling, just a yawning black void. 

He stepped forward and the door hissed closed behind him.

For a moment there was true darkness, and something within him shifted and eased. No stars. No sounds. No life. No confusion.

Then the floor started to glow and something in him twisted at the sight of what was before him.

An irregular room, walls black as the void. Jumbles of boulders making a crude circle on the floor, hiding the true contours. It was the circle that glowed, faint light painting the world in washed out shades of grey, sky reminiscent of the rare darkness on a planet with three suns. 

The light came, not from the floor itself, but the dust that covered the circle. As J moved forward it wherever his feet passed, rising in clouds and swirls, and hanging as if caught in microgravity. 

There was no true dust on the Arc, and no true sand, for that is what the motes were mimicking. The sand of a world long gone, lost along with everyone he’d ever known and everything he’d cared for. Sand that danced, and glowed, and lit the world even in the darkest of night. 

Tomoro had remade their home, as best he could with their limited resources, and J felt something filled within him that he hadn’t realized was empty. The wrongness he felt eased, leaving just a tiny hint of his earlier melancholy, replaced with anticipation and a sudden desire to do exactly as Tomoro had suggested and _move_.

His body answered on its own, armor discarded without a second thought, white feathers falling unnoticed as he removed his broken helm and let the darkness and silence seep into his soul. Action followed instinct, a dance as old as his species coming to him, bypassing any rational thought as he took up the first stance, barely remembered from childhood, something deep within him guiding him through motion after motion, jumps and spins, powerful strikes and fast defenses, crest flaring and falling to a silent rhythm that his body alone could hear, displaying every strength his enhanced form had to offer, leaving him winded and straining even with all his augmentations and while at the same time leaving him feeling gloriously, wonderfully, ecstatically _challenged_. 

Tension eased, his breathing slowed, and the _wrongness_ evaporated, leaving behind the knowledge that he must do this again. And again and again. Until it was _right_. Until he no longer stumbled. Until the moves were as natural as breathing and he could display more of his own unique abilities, proving his excellence above all others. Showing the world what he was capable of. That was the answer he’d been looking for, all these weeks. And now it seemed so obvious.

Tomoro, watching silently as his friend and master stopped and started, feeling out the motions like a child following a half-remembered song, growing in confidence as he tried moves again and again, testing out every motion until it finally felt right, until the strain left the perfect burn of equal precision and exertion. 

The AI watched. Silent. Feeling guilty for observing something so stumbling, so private, so deeply personal. 

It didn’t help that J clearly had absolutely no idea what (or why) he was doing. 

And Tomoro had absolutely no idea how to tell him.

\------------------------

“You are troubled.”

Renais glanced up from her work, towards the hulking shadow that was Volfogg. The robot had barely moved since the moment they had reawoken him and plugged him into the communication systems. 

The power was better used elsewhere, he said, but Renais wondered if he was missing Mamoru just as much as Mic was. The stoic robot wouldn’t show it, but there was a melancholy about him that was hard to ignore. 

Had it been possible, he and Kosuke likely would have collapsed into each other's pain, falling deeper and deeper into their reflection’s loss until both ended up comatose.

Perhaps, then, it was a good thing that there was no atmosphere on _Takehaya_ , and Kosuke was stuck surrounded by the warm affection on the Main Order Room bridge, while Volfogg fielded dozens of communications every minute from all over the ship. No one was letting them fade away.

Renais was the only one regularly dealing with his physical body, however. She didn’t need much oxygen to breath, and her hands were steady enough to perform repairs that the technicians could barely mimic in the best of circumstances, much less in microgravity and darkness only lit by the irregular flickering of Volfogg’s screens. 

Most everyone else would have gone crazy, but Renais enjoyed the silence and she let Volfogg morn at his own pace.

The same, apparently, could not be said of him.

“My records indicate you have visited Dr. Lily five times in the last three weeks.”

Renais threw a broken spanner at his head. “Just because you’re a ninja doesn’t mean you’re allowed to snoop into my business!”

The spanner harmlessly bumped off the mecha’s side and floated away. 

“I did not mean to invade your privacy. I was merely worried. Your functionality is important to to well-being of this ship. And your friends.”

Renais snorted. “Not sure if you noticed, but I don’t have friends. At least, not ones that are awake enough to care.”

“Hmm.” 

Silence settled again, feeds from dozens of security cameras flashing on the screens, faster than any human could track, but taking only a fraction of Volfogg’s attention.

Finally, he spoke again. “I believe you have more friends than you realize. Allies, at the very least.” 

Then, while Renais was trying to interpret that cryptic statement, he added,

“I would like to consider myself one of them.”

“Eh? Oh. Well, yeah. You mecha are way easier to get along with than humans.”

She went back to work laying near microscopic lines of wire on damaged circuit boards, the conversation growing oddly comfortable.

“Why are we ‘easier’?” He asked, turning his form to look at her. She noted the high screech of un-oiled bearings and reminded herself to have someone from engineering see to some general maintenance on the mecha. She didn’t mention it, because Volfogg would deny any issue and avoid the maintenance just as surely as she herself would.

Maybe they were more similar than just in silence.

“Well, y’know. You’re people without all the baggage most people have.”

“Does not that make us less relatable, rather than more?”

She cocked her head to the side and considered.

“Maybe? But you’re way easier to interact with than Kosuke.”

“Because of his -” A pause, as Volfogg tried to remember the term. “ - ‘dandruff’?” 

She chuckled. “Well, that, among other things. I don’t mind so much, but others do. I think Swan called him ‘sloppy’, once. Because he doesn’t care about personal grooming the way others do. But that’s something that’s never been - probably will never be - a problem to you.”

“I must maintain my functionality. My exterior is less important than my internals.”

“Kosuke might say the same. But its not weird to be around a mecha with a scratched chassis like it is to be around a human that hasn’t bathed for three days.” 

“So our different bodies make us easier to understand.”

“Mmm. I wouldn’t say that. There’s a ton of stuff you probably care about that an organic being wouldn’t at all, and vice-versa. But none of our baggage applies to you, and you don’t bring any of it to the discussion.”

“Can you give an example?”

Renais finished her board and sat back. “Other than the obvious?”

“...obvious?”

She gestured to herself. “Well, I hurt people who touch me. That’s half the reason I’m here, away from the rest of the crew, venting my excess heat into space. Most everyone in 3G is super _touchy_ normally.”

It was something she’d noticed not long after their escape from the Trinary System, after she’d finally begun integrating with the satellite crew. They weren’t shy with physical affection, going right along with their comfort with intense emotions. Engineers and repair techs constantly clapped each other on the back. Swan’s go-to strategy for comforting people was enveloping them in giant, busty hugs. Even Mikoto was quick to offer a warm embrace or comforting hand on the shoulder.

In times of crisis they just got more touchy. More warm hugs and shoulders to cry on in sorrow, more boisterous back-pats and crushing hugs upon successes. 

“And I can’t fit in to that. I burn people who touch me without thinking. But that’s never a problem around you, or AnRyu and KyoRyu, or any of the other mecha.”

“Is that why you care so much for the Trinary Soldiers?” 

Renais started, nearly damaging the next chip when her grip tightened. Volfogg might be a ‘friend’, but she doubted he could fully understand the real - and deeply foolish - answer to his question.

“Uh...I guess. It’s nice to have someone I can be around without having to constantly consider their safety.”

Volfogg 'hmm'ed. “I see. Perhaps that is why Swan is considering moving you to their ship.”

“Eh?” Renais set the chip down. “Since when?”

The mecha’s eyes flickered, his version of a blink. “You have not been informed? There has been some concern with data-transmission during the exploratory missions. Swan proposed using the infinite information circuits to relay the data directly to [Ship]. But it would be easier to transmit from G-Stone to G-Stone, rather than using the J-Jewel.”

“...and since I’m the only one with experience interfacing my Stone to a Jewel, I’m the best candidate.” Volfogg didn’t quite pick up on the incredulity in her voice, oblivious to her immediate subscription.

“Indeed.” He paused, then continued. “I was...concerned you might think I was forcing you away, since _Takehaya_ will soon be human-habitable again. Especially given your other living circumstances.”

Renais paused, surprised at Volfogg’s thoughtfulness, though most of her mind was preoccupied with thinking of why Swan would want her on the Arc. 

“...thank you. For thinking of that. But I don’t mind. I move where they need me, and it won’t be safe when you’ve got researchers crawling everywhere.”

“My research - and your own words - indicate that it is not healthy for humans to be so isolated. Are you certain you would not prefer to stay here? Your work has been quite valuable to the repair of _Takehaya_.” 

She forced herself to consider it, refraining from ignoring all logic to say _I just want to be closer to him_. She couldn’t let her own emotions compromise the safety of the crew, and Volfogg needed a perfectly functional ship to ensure that. 

But with full power, they could bring better repair machines online, and with full life-support back up, the technicians would be able to perform her work just as well as she could - better, if one considered how their knowledge was far deeper than simply following directions, and instead could use their superior machines to tailor the new chips to their new circumstances. 

“If I can be more useful on the Arc, that’s where I’ll go. I’ll still be in contact with you. But I won’t mind a bit of space for myself.”

Volfogg regarded her levelly. “Is that the only reason?”

His tone hinted at a deeper question, one she was unwilling to answer. 

“Is there a better one?” 

He rumbled, and turned back to the screens. “None that you would wish to discuss with me, I imagine. Just know that you are welcome here, should you need to return.”

Renais regarded him, face unreadable under the glow of the screens, and wondered how much of her files he’d read, and if he could understand her illness at all.

Could AIs be infected with the same intimate desires as humans? There’d been no consideration of it before, though they were surely just as capable of love as every other human emotion, simply interpreted through a very different lens than their original human counterparts. 

But were they damaged by it in the same way humans were? Was there some version of the dangerous longing that polluted their circuits in the same way Hana’s was twisting Renais’ chest and throat? 

She hopped not. Biology too often got in the way of useful emotions. She wouldn’t wish Hana’s on anyone. Especially not people she cared about.


	9. Tension

Dr. Price was nervous. She felt the tension around her in the Arc. With a small, tight-knit crew like that of 3G, and the even closer groups of scientists, rumors had a tendency of spreading fast.

Especially about someone as...dramatic as Brent. The truth was his antics - who he’d pissed off and who’d come up with an appropriate revenge - was a constant source of entertainment to much of the scanning team. The fact that he was completely oblivious to it - though his partner Enrique certainly wasn't - made the game all the more interesting. 

So everyone on the mining expedition had heard that Dr. Brat had nearly been kicked off the J-Arc. Those remaining back on _Hirumi_ couldn’t wait to see how the week-long mission confining the alien and the chalkboard-screech of a person would shake out.

Those stuck in a confined space with the two of them were less lucky, and Kimi had money on the line that Brent wouldn’t make it back alive. 

Gary had guessed the first argument would happen as soon as the equipment had been loaded.

But J disappeared during the loading, and only appeared again for the cast-off. Kim knew that nothing would distract him during the actual flying, but she - and the rest - walked on eggshells until then, especially when Brent decided that his machines had not been given enough space, and began haranguing the AI to reshuffle the ship.

The point - five second pause it took for the AI to respond was enough to startle even Brent. Usually Tomoro spent all his attention observing and assisting the scientists and trying to sooth their (Brent’s) ruffled feathers as best his inhuman intelligence could manage.

Instead, when he appeared on the view-screen above the main storage unit, he seemed distracted. 

“Sorry. The Captain is casting off in a minute. Can I confirm that you have all your tools and I can unlock the space-walk?”

Brent’s mouth popped open. For all the condescension he’d hurled at the AI, Tomoro had never outright _ignored_ him.

“We’ve got everything we need, Tom-kun.” Gary answered, cutting off any protests easily. 

“Right. Call if you need anything else.” And then the Eye blinked out, and Brent made a beeline towards the bridge, clearly heading to the management to complain.

He ignored the warning count-down, and fell on his ass a minute later when the ship fired the first engines. Kimi hurried up quickly, helping him up while behind her there were snickers and at least one whir of a camera shutter on someone’s phone.

By the time they reached the bridge, Kim following a safe distance behind the rampaging Brent, there had been a half-dozen other starts and stops as the ship carefully maneuvered away from the growing space-port. 

The engines fully engaged the moment they finally reached the bridge, indicating they were finally a safe distance from the other ships, this time throwing both of them on their ass. Just on the edge of her hearing, Kimi heard a chuckle, and realized that they had not received the general warning Tomoro normally gave. 

A thought began to grow in the back of her mind, buoyed by the fact that she’d been caught by a cushion of air before she get hurt, while Brent tumbled hard. Hadn’t Tomoro originally been some kind of clown-zonder?

The thought evaporated when they reached the bridge and they found J deep in the midst of the pilot-fugue, hanging far above the floor within the cockpit of the Arc. Even Brent was momentarily shocked at the sight; since escaping the Trinary System they had never seen the alien directly piloting his ship, instead standing below the helm and giving orders.

Now he hung in a red glow, eyes hidden by his helm and fringe, arms spread, looking almost as if he was asleep except for the half-smile on his face that appeared each time his fingers twitched and the Arc performed an impossible maneuver.

Kimi glanced out the half-shuttered windows behind them, and was shocked to find that they were moving at speeds double that of the listed itinerary. A screen to one side showed their destination, a huge asteroid hidden in a tightly packed field. Their earlier thrust had brought them half-way to their destination in a moment, and now the alien was navigating them through the surrounding asteroid belt with a grace that belied their speeds. The tiny tremors that ran through the ship, no more serious than light turbulence, were the only indication of the forces being exerted upon the Arc as it twisted and turned.

Kimi understood why Tomoro was slow to respond faster than Brett. She caught his arm before he could call out.

“Don’t.” She hissed, then quickly explained, “The pilot is pushing the ship to normal speeds for him. Tomoro isn’t responding because he’s controlling the gravity so we don’t feel it.”

Brent's eyes widened in understanding, but his pride was such that he still had to complain to someone.

“The itinerary clearly stated that - “

“Everyone wants to get back as soon as we can. If the ship can go faster without damaging the equipment, what harm is there?”

Brent’s face contorted in a sneer, surely about to come up with half a dozen arguments, when a sudden thought crossed his mind and he instantly sped back down the corridor, swearing, “My equipment!”

There was another one of those barely-audible chuckles in time with a slight tremor that sent the lead scientist stumbling, and Dr. Price wondered just what Tomoro was up to.

\---------------------------------------------- 

Gary, the lead maintenance engineer, had left with the J-Arc to lend his skills to the mining expedition, putting on hold all major repair work. The rest of the repair team was relegated to emergency work, which thankfully became less and less necessary as everyone settled into their roles and new quarters.

Deciding that the first reorganization had gone well, Swan White moved on to the second step and issued mandatory rest periods coinciding with the opening of a small gymnasium and Kazuo’s hydroponics bays as a kind of park. 

Four hours, allocated to every staff member, no matter their rank and responsibilities, in addition to the full eight hours of sleep everyone was expected to get. And Volfogg had been given the authority to shut people out of their labs or equipment lockers if they tried to flaunt the new rules. 

That meant Guy and Mikoto finally had some time to themselves, which they mostly spent away from the rest of the ship, finally getting the recovery time they had been denied all throughout the escape, and the time alone they so richly deserved. They had earned it, and took it gratefully.

Some others did not adapt so easily. Renais was hardly the only one who found herself reaching for a tool, only to hit her hand on an inexplicably locked drawer and a stern, automated warning informing her that “ _12 hours of allocated work time has been achieved_.” Other maintenance technicians swore just as loud as she did when the same automated voice told them sternly that, yes, despite the emergency, all hands were _not_ needed to repair a minor breach, and shifts existed for a reason, Human. No saving the day for at least another 12 hours.

Taiga coughed and looked the other way at some of the antics the suddenly bored engineers and scientists got up to, while Swan and Lily carefully egged their less destructive tendencies on. Both doctors had carefully planned the reorganization (and not just for one idiot red-headed cyborg). Hyuuma had a still up and running in the space behind the canteen in less than 48 hours, and there were soon arguments between the Scots and Americans about what kind of whiskey was best, some of which devolved into friendly fisticuffs moved to the sparring rings. 

Most of that was beyond the reach of Renais, though. She was an awkward third wheel at dinners, had no ability nor inclination to participate in the orgies, and she couldn’t risk a gymnasium designed for humans, not cyborgs.

Plus, most of her mecha friends were asleep. And she wasn’t about to tear the only person on the whole ship away from his lady-love just so she could burn off some steam sparring.

And she couldn't let herself sleep.

Two days after the Arc left, she had exhausted her normal go-to time killers. She’d taken apart, cleaned, and reassembled the small arsenal she kept in her bunk half a dozen times. She’d snuck into the canteen and listened in on the whole ship’s conversations, getting up-to-date on every project and any major issues the crew faced. She’d even borrowed enough power to charge her modified music player and curled up for a few hours watching the stars and listening to overly emotional pop-songs that made her chest clench.

All in a futile effort to not think of J. But no matter how resolutely she turned her mind away, the flowers on her chest still bloomed and her nights were still filled with dreams of cool hands and strong arms. 

The third day, she gave up and followed up on Volfogg’s hint of reassignment.

Even though that brought her in contact with the _last_ two people she wanted to see.


	10. Contact

“Renais! How good to see you, girl!” Dr. Liger Shishio beamed as he saw his adopted daughter enter the main engineering lab. Most of the Main Order Room team was there as well - Stallion and Swan were hard at work on a new design, while Guy and Hyruuma were looking over a technician’s blueprints for mecha repairs. 

“Bonjour, papa.” The scientist beamed, unused to affection from his normally stoic daughter. “Monsieur Volfogg said you had work for me?”

“Eh?” The scientist’s beaky nose turned to Swan, who had set down her work the moment the french woman appeared. 

“Oh! You’re talking about the relay system!” Guy jogged up. “You must not have seen the proposal, Uncle. Its genius, really.”

“Eh?” Liger repeated.

Swan smiled. “Miss. Renais is a unique asset to this base. One we have under-utilized thus far. But now that Galeon and the J-Arc are partaking in longer missions, I believe we may need her help.”

Liger’s brows knotted. “Really? You sure you’re okay with that, Renais? I’ve heard you’ve been doing great at the repair work…”

“Volfogg would prefer to work with his own technicians, and I cannot blame him.” She said, shrugging. “And the external repairs can be performed by anyone with a suit and stethoscope.” 

“Well, I won’t say no if you’d rather be doing something else.” Liger said, turning to Swan. “So what’s this proposal?”

“We want to see if her G-Stone can transmit sensor data from the Arc to the Base.”

“What?!”

“It should be possible.” Guy said, nodding to the equations Swan was pulling up on a screen. “We were all in contact during the battle through our Stones, but now most of the mecha are in storage, and of the two experienced G-Stone users, Renais is clearly the better candidate.” 

Liger’s brows rose. “I fail to see how that is the case.”

“It is because I have already interfaced with a J-Jewel.” She hated spelling it out, and forced herself to not flush at the further thoughts it brought to mind. Only logic, especially before her over-protective father.

“Yes, but…”

“And, frankly, I’ve got more important stuff to do.” Guy added. “And I couldn’t afford to be away from the base for long missions anyways.”

Liger opened his mouth to protest, then closed it with a hmm. He instead turned to the theoretical framework Stallion and his team had concocted in their spare time (it was hard to prevent scientists from working when scribbling theories on napkins was almost genetically bred in) to explain the phenomenon they’d observed during the fight against the Sol Masters. 

He read fast. He was a genius, after all. After a mere few moments he hmmed again.

“What you describe is theoretically possible. But I fail to see any hard evidence.”

“Should be possible to prove right now.” Stallion said. “We’ve got a mock-up of the focusing circuit right now. Tomoro gave it over before we left.”

“Tomoro knew of this?” Renais was surprised.

Swan smiled, handing over a glove that would fit over Renais’ non-metallic hand. The material felt like soft leather, but didn’t singe when Renais took hold of it. The palm of the glove held a swirling organic circuit that did not look so much laid as grown. Heavy lines connected the pads of the fingertips, each with their own raised circuit, to the central core.

“Hexagonal. Like the Trinary Script.” Liger examined it carefully as Renais pulled the glove on. He glanced up. “So the AI is aware we’re going to try and contact it?”

Swan nodded. “It was his idea, in fact.”

Renais flexed her hand, enjoying the stretch of the leather. While the circuit lines were in green, the glove itself was the same pale red of J-Jewel energy. It didn’t hinder her mobility in the least, and the woven circuit didn’t seem in danger of damage in the same way the chips she’d been repairing for weeks were.

“What’s she supposed to do?” Liger asked.

“According to Tomoro, just touch the glove to your G-Stone, and concentrate.” 

Now it was Renais’s turn to hmm. 

“It won’t put the Arc in danger, will it?” Guy asked. “Like, if they were flying and suddenly got distracted by the call?”

Swan shook her head. “Not only is Tomoro expecting this, but their itinerary should have them at the asteroid already.”

Guy grinned. “And knowing J, it’s been there for two days already.”

“I wouldn’t presume to guess.” Swan chuckled. “But I’m sure Renais could inquire, if this is successful.”

Once again, the team turned to Renais, looking at her expectantly. 

She shrugged, and touched the glove to her Stone, reminded not a little bit of the gestures Guy and the rest of 3G made when answering their communicators. 

But instead of a tap, she held the tips of her fingers against the stone. There was a shock - a zap of cool energy - at the contact, then nothing.

Or, not quite nothing.

Renais blinked.

It was always difficult to explain the additional senses that a G-Stone brought with it. It was simply that one could always feel where the other stones were, if only a bit. It was easier with stones that were of the same batch, the crystal lattices somehow better attuned to their brethren. Similarly, stones that were kept close together over time became better able to reach out to the familiar stones. 

Thus, Renais knew at all times where AnRyu and KyoRyu's stones were located, both from familiarity and because her stone had been grown from the same shards as theirs. She could even sense their thoughts sometimes, wordless promises of assistance or shouts for help. Now their stones powered the generators in two of the smaller ships, and the loss of their distant thoughts, not something she ever consciously thought about but could sense nonetheless, felt like a missed note within a symphony. Unthinking utility, where there should have been song. 

The other G-stones were more distant in her consciousness, but she could ‘hear’ them as easily as she could hear heart-beats. Guy’s was always the loudest in any room, Mikoto’s signal usually quiet but soothing, and the various Mecha stones took on the personalities of their wielders.

The newer cyborgs, of the dozen or so 3G members that had needed augmentation after the battle and following escape, were present in her senses, but had yet to differentiate much. 

The glove somehow _clarified_ her normal senses. There was no new information she gathered, no sudden ability to read cyborg minds or pick up on damaged machinery. But she was certain of every stone’s location, even those few deactivated stones. And while normally the sense was completely passive, now she could concentrate on each stone individually.

“Its working.” She said, her own voice sounding surprised. “Let me try to reach them.”

Feeling within the 3G ship was easy. She didn’t even need her G-Stone to do that. Her modified hearing was enough. But sound didn’t travel in space, so there was no point in listening outside the thin metal walls of the hull.

But now…

Now she concentrated and reached out. And out. And _out_. The stones around her became background noise as she spread her new sense wider and wider, into the cold silence of space, latching on almost immediately to the faint pink trail the Arc left behind. 

A Jewel felt different than a Stone. They were not opposites, per say, but rather balanced equals. A clear note of a trumpet compared to a single strike of a drum. 

Space might be silent, but it only made the Jewel signature stand out more, and she found herself at the Arc almost before her mind could catch up.

There could be no doubt as to what it was. It lit up in her other-sense like a crescendo, brass in a hundred hues of red. Surely the 3G station sang in green in the same way, but the ship’s very life blood was not Crystal Energy in the same way that the Arc was. There were too many different personalities on the human ships, all working together for the same goal, true, but each pulling in an individual direction.

If 3G was a cacophony, then the Arc was a symphony.

As she concentrated she began to pick up on subtle variations, hints of different sources within the wider melody. Within the swirling mass in her mind she picked up upon a flutter of high, orange-tinted laughter, there and gone, staccato short, overtaking the whole for a moment then fading back into the tone, surely Tomoro’s own energy. The regenerating armor sung with a constant drone, a complex melody that yet repeated, laying out the blueprint within the very fluctuations of Jewel energy. And over it all there was a single, overarching rhythm, a tone holding the whole together. 

She was reaching out before she could think. The bare movement was almost sacrilege, forcing her own discordant voice into the seamless whole, but she could not have stopped herself for the world. The song called, and she needed to answer.

Further...further...

Contact.

And her senses were deafened, replaced with one sound louder than all the rest. 

_One. Two. Three. One. Two. Three._

A count, whether the frequency of the Jewels, the time of the song, she did not know. But the world collapsed into the sound.

_One and One is Two_

_Two and One is Three_

_Three_

_Is_

_One_

And then, for one impossible second, the count stopped.

And looked back at her.

_Oh. **There** you are. _

“Renais!”

Something hit her, and the contact snapped, hand falling from her Stone just as she fell to the floor.

“Wh - “

She blinked, and her normal senses returned. The familiar heat. The smell of burning cloth. Smoke. Melted metal.

Her cousin, shaking her, worried expression on his face.

“Renais!”

Around her was a smoking crater. Guy had bowled her to the floor. It was obvious why. Her entire left side was scorched, where the energy output by her G-Stone had burned away even her cooling-coat. As she shook, gold faded from her form, skin regaining its hue, and the steam from the fire-extinguishers cleared.

She coughed, embarrassed, and beat out the last flame on her jacket. 

“I suppose that was not according to plan?”

The scientists who regarded her from a safe distance relaxed. 

“No.” Stallion said, waving away some smoke. “That was not in the calculations.”

“I think we’ve got enough data for _that_.” Said Liger. “So much for your equations, boy.”

“Oh! But it worked!” 

Everyone turned to Swan, where she stood next to a different machine, attached to a computer and holding its own G-Stone. Dimly, Renais realized that the Stone was a shard of KyoRyu’s.

Hexagon glyphs scrolled up the attached computer screen, almost faster than the eye could follow, as the little G-Stone picked up the fading resonance from Renais’s stone and transmitted it to the screen.

“I think this is all the sensor data Dr. Brent was gathering.” Swan said, eyes moving fast. “A whole two day’s worth of information, transmitted in half a second. Amazing!” 

“Dangerous!” Liger growled, crossing his arms.

“It was just the Arc.” Renais said.

Suddenly, all eyes were back on her.

“I mean...I interfaced directly with the Arc’s over-program. It might have transmitted too much information at once. My stone could handle it, but…” She shrugged. “The rest of the ship couldn’t, apparently.”

“So we just need a stronger computer system to capture the data, either when you connect to the Arc from here, or when you transmit from the Arc to us.” Stallion was grinning now, hands already going to his notepad.

“You know...Tomoro mentioned something about our AIs…” Swan’s brow creased as she thought back. “He seemed to think we could use some of the non-functional mecha Cores to - well, he called them ‘primitive cognition’ but he meant that they could be used as super-computers.”

“So AnRyu and KouRyu could help?” Renais tried not to look too hopeful, but the whole experience had frazzled her normally haughty demeanor.

“That’s exactly it.” Swan beamed. “You could transmit to them, and no one would overload.”

“And if you did it from the Arc, the floor wouldn’t melt.” Stallion added as Hyuuma appeared with an extra fire-extinguisher and a sour expression.

“Hmphf.” Liger said, but he was already sketching out a design on a spare chalkboard detailing how the AIs computer cores could be used as a buffer for the surplus of information. “I suppose further testing could be devised. But not in the main lab.”

“Yes, Sir.” Chimed the scientists. 

“And I’m not sending my daughter out into space without some better fireproofing!”


	11. Worry

J started, awakening from his rest cycle so fast that he nearly slammed his head against his bunk’s ceiling. 

Harsh white light snapped on, and the air cushion he lay on dispersed, dropping him back onto the triangular bed frame in the Captain's Quarters. 

Normally he didn’t sleep. Certainly not since the six months he spent captured by the Sol Masters with little to do but rest and wait. But Tomoro had insisted that there was nothing on the asteroid that warned of danger and after scouting it completely with the J-Bird, the Soldato was forced to agree. And with the irritating human arguments grating on his nerves, he eventually retired to his quarters, after making Tomoro swear to the sky that the AI would wake him should anything even remotely dangerous happen.

But Tomoro had sent no warning, so there was no explanation as to why J had woken a bare hour into his rest. Nothing felt amiss on the ship. Nothing out of place, no discordance in the hum of its energies.

Yet he felt wrong. As if something was _missing_. The feeling that had faded once he’d begun practicing in Tomoro’s training space had returned with a vengeance, with no hint as to why. 

He was already moving to the storage area before he queried Tomoro. 

“You’re supposed to be asleep.” The AI complained.

“Status update?”

“Eh? Why? No, nevermind. I’ve got sensors on all the humans. They’re extracting iron and titanium now, and Dr. Brent says he’s found deposits of neodymium and other of their ‘rare earth’ elements. There have been no major problems, and only one machine has broken so far.”

“Has the ship registered any unusual activity?”

“Nothing unexpected.”

J paused, at the corner of the corridor that would take him to the training room. Years working with Tomoro, both as a Zondarian and as a Trinary Warrior, allowed him to notice the subtleties in the AI’s tone.

“Has there been _expected_ unusual activities?”

“Just a communications test. I registered a G-Stone communication attempt from their base. I authorized the planned data transfer.”

J blinked, remembering vaguely Tomoro mentioning the communication problem.

“So Guy has unlocked instant transmission? I hadn’t thought his skills lead to the mental.”

“Oh no. I gave their team one of our Focus Circuits.”

“ _What?!_ ” The Arc growled in response to J’s anger, engines beginning to heat as he considered flying back to the satellite immediately. The Focus Circuits were cutting-edge technology, even as the Red Planet fell, and only a few had ever been made. Now there were only three left in the universe, and the idea that some disrespectful human scientist had their hands on it left him furious. 

“They’re not going to take it apart!” Tomoro quickly said.

“That is Red Planet technology. The humans have not shown themselves deserving of - “

“It’s for Renais.”

J’s voice cut off, and Tomoro added,

“Because she would be the best transmitter, remember? Since she has a G-Stone and has already interfaced with the Arc? You probably felt her call, just now.”

J remained silent, mind blank as some deeper part of him tried to process the information.

“It was strange. It almost felt like we had an Arma again. Just for a moment.”

No. J spun back his memories, trying to parse the feeling that had awoken him. Easy to recognize the emptiness that he was so familiar with. Harder to recognize the moment before the longing returned. 

Hard to notice, when something felt _right_.

“...like an Arma.” He said aloud, leaning one hand against the familiar triangular wall, telling himself that Tomoro must be correct. 

That made sense. Of course it did. The Arcs were designed to balance on three minds - a Captain to Direct, an Arma to See, and a Core to Move. When there were no enemies to sense the Armas became less crucial, but they had been designed with mental features to improve communication between the Arcs, and other features beyond that had never been needed, even during the war against the Primevals. The Focus Circuits had been meant for them.

“I had not considered Arma’s - Kaido’s - loss to be so devastating to the Arc. If another cyborg can fill his place, we should request one.”

Tomoro mimicked the sound of a snort, but J was returning to his course, moving slower now as he turned the idea over in his mind. 

“...Nor had I considered communication to be so crucial. The female cyborg will be an adequate solution.”

“Her name is Renais.” There was real irritation in Tomoro’s voice, out of character for the normally friendly AI.

“Does it matter? Any G-Stone cyborg would do…”

“She’s earned better from you.” The irritation persisted, and J found himself irritated in turn. 

What did it matter what he called her? Nothing made her different from the other humans. Not really. Surely he would have had the same reaction had any other G-Stone Cyborg used the Focus Circuit and tried to connect with the Arc. Admittedly, he doubted any but Renais and Guy had the skill to…

But Guy would not feel the same, a traitorous part of his system whispered…He would have felt like a typhoon, all that courage and enthusiasm overtaking any space he inhabited completely naturally. J would have woken the instant he sensed Guy’s approach, instantly needing to defend his territory from an interloper, no matter how trusted.

But this...he had felt no shock at another mind reaching out to the Arc. It had felt...natural. _Right_. His internals reported that he had fallen further into sleep at the moment of contact, only waking when the contact was broken. 

And if it had such an effect on him...

“Contact their ship through normal channels. Check to ensure that Ren - that the female cyborg was not damaged in the test.”

Tomoro said nothing further about his refusal to call Renais by her name, or J’s instinct to do otherwise, but he did ask “Why?”

“The Armas' Jewels were designed for communication. I doubt the human cyborgs were optimized to do the same. Too much feedback during transmission could overload an unprepared system. Especially one already in danger of overheating. The loss of contact could indicate failure of the vessel.”

Within his room, Tomoro’s eye widened. “She could be _hurt_?” 

J pretended that he didn’t care, oblivious to the way white feathers trailed behind him as he hurried to the bridge. 

“We should check, either way.”

\------------------- 

“Transmitting….transmitting...Swan?”

The blond scientist was still helping to clean the lab when she received the transmission on her pager. 

The Arc was far enough away that the transmission took several minutes to reach her, so she intended to let the full message play out before responding.

“Answer quick! Is Renais okay?” Tomoro’s panicked recording surprised the scientist.

She typed out a quick “Subject is fine.” and sent it out while she read the rest.

“I hadn’t realized how fragile Earth cyborgs can be. Did the transmission overload her circuits? We’ll repair any damage as soon as we return. It is unacceptable to all of us that she may be hurt.”

There was a moment’s pause in the transmission, then, in a much more measured tone,

“Contact was successful on our end. Registered 12.3 seconds of contact between Arc Energy System and Subject Renais. No gaps in transmission were observed during that period. Signal held strong. Further data will be sent over upon return. 

Worry edged back in when he concluded. “Please respond quickly to this query. I am sorry to have put Renais-chan in danger.”

Swan smiled fondly at the console. For all the trouble he caused them as a Zondarian, the AI showed himself to be a kind ally.

She began typing her response immediately, considering how much easier it was to speak to Tomoro than to his master. If Pencherone had changed from the chaotic trouble maker to a calm, collected AI, then one would think Pizza would have experienced a similar transformation. Instead, his stoic demeanor, pride, and tendency to isolate himself from others had contributed greatly to the confusion surrounding his revival and fight against the Primevals. 

Really, if he had just worked with 3G from the beginning, rather than running off to brood, they could have avoided half the chaos and not needed to waste time defending from a force that turned out to be an ally, not an enemy. 

And of course, that kind of man would not wish to show any worry about an ally’s fate, no matter how closely they had once worked together. Tomoro had no such hesitance, his worry clear from the waver in his voice and scratchy recording.

Yes, the AI was much easier to work with.

Still, she worded her response to reassure J as well, layering on enough praise for the Red Planet technology as to soothe any bruised feelings that might arise from technically going behind the Arcs commander's back to set up the experiment.

\------------------

Eighteen minutes was a long time to wait for a response. All the more reason to have instant transmission, were it possible. 

J’s talons cut into his arms as unrecognized tension led him to clench his hands and jaw. He only cared because the female cyborg was a battle companion. Surely it was nothing more.

“Swan responded!” Tomoro chirped, relief in his voice. “Renais survived!”

Silence resumed, and J found his heart doing odd things in his chest. Relief should not hurt, correct? Unless perhaps some part of him disliked the girl? No, the Arc would never have let her connect in the first place if her presence disquieted any Jewel connected to the over-mind. 

Perhaps his heart pounded because she reminded him of the moments they had fought together, of the glorious battle and eventual triumph. Blood pounding, bodies and machines pushed to the very limits, all for a slim hope of salvation…

The Arc had accepted her then, too. A bare day after stepping foot on the bridge, and she had flown with him, easy as breathing, easy as…

_Dancing._

“J? Where are you going?” Tomoro called after him. 

“Training.”

“But, the report - “

“If the girl is fine, you have no need of me. And I...have much to think on.”

That wasn’t quite true. But the Soldato thought best while in battle. Or, at least, at the mockery of it that his body was pushing him to.


End file.
